Storms in life

This week has been a roller coaster...and its just crazy how God orchestrates it to get  crazier and crazier until I realize (for the billionth time) that I need to take a step back and spend time with Him. When I take just 30 minutes of my time in the middle of the crazy storm- He works His magic.

A few days ago we had a so-called "storm" in Houston- now...being a Southern California girl, I used to think a 15 minute thunder storm was practically what a hurricane felt like. I am now proud to say that 3 hours of thunder-lightening and 3" of rain fall is nothing! (minus the fact we were able to leave work and go home and I snuggled on the couch with our dog..) Anyways..I was sitting at home, watching the rain POUR down and listening to the news (really...jsut the tornado warnings all through this part of the great state of Texas) and I just broke down..broke down I tell ya. I was so THANKFUL that we were all sent home from work, I was thankful that God sent that storm- because it was a physical reminder of how there is calmness in a storm. I started reading The Word and it was almost as if God was telling me "Megan- your in a storm right now- physically and emotionally- but get in shelter and focus on ME."  I needed that day to come back to how He wants me. He wants me constantly thirsty for the Word, always Hungry for His name and as ready as ever to wrap Him around every little thing that I do!

We are a busy generation- we strive to do as many things as possible- add as many experiences to our resumes...take as many classes as possible..volunteer as much as we can..workout to be as healthy as we can be..be the best parents we can (if you are a parent) and serve as many people as we can. Amidst the hussle and bussle lets make sure we dont forget how we got here and why we are still here.

We are still here because HE allows us to be.

Even in the storm, there is calmness. Even in the terrential downpour of life, there is a way to stay dry. Even in the lighting and thunder of decisions, there is a quiet place. And even when the wind gets to be too much, and you just want to let go and let it take you away- He is there holding you down and letting you choose how you will proceed.

 Friends I want to challenge all of us (definitly myself included) to never loose sight of why we are here. Take time to focus on Him- let Him change your attitude- let Him make your day more successful- and let His wisdom resignate within you. When it feels like you cant do anything else...thats when God comes in and gives you the strength...You just need to be avilable to let Him in!

2011

As this year comes to an end....I have been reflecting on all the things that God has blessed us with..and all the promises He has kept..all the new experiences He has allowed..and all the lessons that He has taught us.

2011 was a year in which God revealed himself to me in ways that I could never even dream of. He reminded me that he is King of Kings and He put me in challenging situations where He prevailed!  God performed a miracle this year, He lead me towards where He knows I need to be and He made it possible. God always has something better in store for us. As long as we keep praising him, relying on Him and focusing on Him- He will do the unthinkable!

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

Recap of 2011:
Life as a newlywed..2000 miles away from my husband (for a month); a phone call that revealed God's miraculous capabilities (I still remember where I was, when it was, how it went down, and the phone calls I made right after in TEARS because I was so excited about the news); Travis began his life in Houston; first valentines day as a married couple; a new family member joined our clan (Hello Ziggy);
March 11, 2011- the phone call that changed my life forever. It practically brings me to tears thinking about this- I am so grateful for how the Lord maneuvered me towards His plans for me. It is so true that when you're in the bottom- you must keep praising him- and when you're on top- keep praising Him. In all things- PRAISE HIM!

He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. Deut 10:21

Family time in Texas; CA; Family time in Michigan; our first christmas as Mr. & Mrs.; one year anniversary; my birthday....

PHEW! 

 I can not wait to see how God works in our lives in 2012.  All we know is- 2012 will be full of "new"- New country/state/city, new responsibilities, new challenges, new rewards, new blessings, new experiences, new degree's, new jobs..new new new.

STAY ENCOURAGED. KNOW THAT 2012 IS THE YEAR FOR OPPORTUNITIES, THE YEAR FOR RENEWAL, THE YEAR FOR CHANGE, THE YEAR FOR FORGIVENESS, THE YEAR FOR CHALLENGES, THE YEAR FOR OBEYING, THE YEAR FOR BLESSINGS and most of all....2012, like 2011, gives 365 mornings to give THANKS and to ALWAYS, no matter where 2012 may take you, remember WHO YOUR PILOT REALLY IS.

Cheers to all the memories {good and bad} from 2011....and here's to making 2012 our best year..and to walking next to the One who {no matter what} holds this promise for us: 

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

We are in it (together)

Here I am sitting and reading “The Way of the Shepherd” for at least the 14^th time. This small book has taught me some of the best skills about leading and serving others. I have been to many leadership seminars and have participated in leadership courses, with countless large texts but no classroom text has impacted me like this book has.

While reading this book today, I kept thinking about how every single person you meet in your life is important and impacts it in some way shape or form.  On the contrary, we impact every person we encounter. Even if it’s a person at the store- give them a smile- you never know how much they need that smile. And lets be honest- even when you don’t NEED a smile, you need a smile. 

Show your friends and family that they are important to you, tell them that you need them. Sometimes I am so busy running around the place that I forget to look up- I have my head set on a mission and I am after it! I could have walked past 7 people who NEEDED a smile, NEEDED encouragement.

I have made it a goal to let each of my friends know how THANKFUL I am for them, to tell my husband how I couldn’t do LIFE without him, and to let my family know that they, even from 2000 miles away, have a VITAL role in my life.  Lets make it a goal- everyone- everywhere- lets show them love, joy, happiness, and excitement.

Even when you don’t think about it- you will change someone’s day- you may save someone’s FAITH- you could change their PERSPECTIVE on life. We have the power to CHANGE the negativity that seems to be increasingly circulating through society. 

God didn’t put us on the earth to be blessed, thankful and happy by ourselves, in our quiet cubical, our quiet apartment, our car running errands…NO He put us here to SHARE IT with those who need it!

 I am on this earth to share my excitement of life, shine my light of God and to show the world that He is LOVE.

Oh and umm...ps....there is no such thing as a “bad day”- did you wake up this morning? Are you breathing right now? Did you eat today? Are you reading this on your computer/iphone/smartphone/ipad/i-whateverelseyoucanreadthison?  I am assuming you are/you did…. compare that the portion of the world that may not have one, or ALL, of those luxuries.....

 You, my friend, are blessed.

You, my friend, are alive. 

You, my friend, have a purpose. 

And YOU, MY FRIEND, will make someone’s day GREAT

never forget that everyone has a story, and everyone needs ENCOURAGEMENT, and everyone can use an extra smile. 

(Google search: source mosaic-seattle.org)

He is with us

In everything he did he had great success because the Lord was with him.

1 Samuel 18:14

I havent blogged in a LONG WHILE.  I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with being this busy. It is amazing how life can take a complete dive for the worst when you are focused on the wrong things. Yet...when 110% of your mind is pointed towards the Lord and towards seeking His wisdom, no matter how much you have on your plate- life is always looking up. Its all about perspective!

When we are solely focused on the Lord our accomplishments feel even better and our trials seem trivial. The best feelings I have ever had are those when I accomplish something and can take a deep breath and just say "Lord..that was a journey..thanks for being there with me and most of all THANK YOU for taking me to where I am." Speaking from someone who is living a God given dream, dream something un-real, dream up something that everyone else says is crazy, dream up a dream that is commonly un-dream-able! (I think i just invented a new word..) Anyways- don't be scared of failure! Instead- be EXCITED for success, be READY for accomplishments, be PREPARED to hit milestones and be CONSISTENT with you are giving the credit to. 

David was a man who lived a life of success because of the Lord- This success came with fear and at times, failure, but in the end, when you keep your walk STRONG, God makes your dreams within REACH. He is always gearing you up- don't be preoccupied with all the logistics that you are unoccupied with thanking Him and recognizing His grace and his miraculous abilities.

ONE MOMENT

My mom always told me: "The higher up you go, the meaner people will get"...I always rolled my eyes and said 'yea ok mom- not to me."...you know that saying 'Momma knows best'..yea "INSERT HERE"

One day about 4 years ago..I woke up and said "THATS IT! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" and I started to dump the friends I didn't need. Told the ones I did. and stopped caring what anyone thought. Fast forward 4 years: through hard times, good times, exciting times, testing times....God brought me here! 

Now im not writing this to be all pompous and what not..but just to demonstrate the power of ONE MOMENT! All it took me was ONE MOMENT to be done with it...one moment to say "I have had it" and one moment to say "Megan- God has the craziest plans for your life....why dont you get out there and figure out what they are?!" Unfortunately, for some, that moment never happens...they live their lives thinking about having that moment but they can never get the courage to put that moment into action.

Challenge yourself: if you know you are made of more. if you know that you can handle more. if you know your amazing. if you know that God gave you talents that He is ready to see you use. if you know that its going to be hard. if you know that its going to be worth it. if you know that you want to be standing in front of all those people who are saying that you cant do it.....think about how AMAZING it is going to feel standing in front of them saying 'No..I didnt do that..I started finishing THAT and ended with THIS!" Just forget about everyone that hurts you, everyone that puts you down, everyone that you DO NOT NEED..and go to the One that KNOWS you need HIM! 

You will do awesome things but you can't get goin' if you dont start droppin'. 

Its true- the more successful you get- the less that people will support you and the more that they will criticize you.

Even for me, this past year, God has helped me achieve so much success and there have been SO MANY people that have naturally been "X'd" out of my radar...talk to me 4 years ago, I would have been devastated. Talk to me today...and I will tell you how much better off I am, how much better off my marriage is, how much better off my relationships are, how much better off my career is, how much better off my social life is, how much better off my adventures are.... getting rid of those people is such a blessing- it frees up more room for the people that matter! I no longer have to work to hold onto friendships- I have new friends, who are just as successful, who are just as close with the Lord and who are just as comfortable with their life and calling- and it makes everything so much better!  

You cant experience the amazing things God has in store for you when you are scared to get rid of the "ordinary" and to jump in to the unknown. But you know what- you WILL get to the top of the mountain and you WILL celebrate and you WILL look down and say "LOOK AT ME NOW!"...then, you will turn around....and see an even BIGGER mountain to climb and to accomplish....and when you stay 110% tuned in to what He has to say to you....pretty soon, you will reach that mountain top too!

I google imaged this photo; its from stahlworks.com

(I dont know about you..but when I stand up at these "mountain tops"- all I care about is standing up there with those that matter- in peace and celebration! He's got you covered. Now TRUST HIM and GET OUT THERE AND BE MORE INCREDIBLE THAN YOU ALREADY ARE! 

:)

Deep in the heart of Texas!

I havent really been in a "blogging" routine...but I kinda want to start.
A- it gives me a break from this huge thing called my thesis project
B- maybe i'll say something that helps you all out
C- its better than taking a nap

This one isn't going to be long at all....seeing that there is a super cute but sick puppy trying to get in my face right now and cuddle...the things he gets away with being 11 lbs with huge eyes!

In a few months (well more like 9 months), we will officially be moved out of Houston, TX. I am so excited for the adventure ahead but for now....

I have fallen in LOVE with this great city and this awesome state! 

Some reasons are as follows:
- BBQ at almost every major corner!!!
- Cowboy boots/cowboy hats are normal
- they sing the Texas national anthem almost as loud as the star spangled banner
-At Astros games, "Deep in the heart of Texas" is a bigger hit than "take me out to the ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch
-FOOD. FOOD. FOOD.
       -no but seriously...the food in Texas is AMAZING!
-Ghe people are SO NICE!
-Gas is cheap(er)
-H.E.B.- enough said
-BEST PART: Lakewood church is our home

We were driving back from church on Sunday thinking- WOW we need to take advantage of what we have here because in less than a year we wont have it anymore. I was thinking about what a wonderful blessing God has given us here, with our church and our awesome friends and leaders there, and I cant believe we will be moving.

The bright side to this situation: we know we know that, eventually, we are leaving and we know that we need to appreciate every second we get.

The down side to most situations: There are so many things in life that we dont know when it will be gone. We need to appreciate every little thing the moment we see/hear/encounter it. God has given us so many blessings- from the shoes on our feet, to the beat of our heart, to the awesome church down the road! People get so busy and caught up in "life" that they forget to "live".

What I mean is- go around and be appreciative, thank God for EVERYTHING, really take in the goodness of Him and see how your day goes- I guarantee you, you will realize so many things and your day will change.

I was running today and was thinking about the running shoes I have on and about the children who love running but cant afford shoes but they still get out there and run with a huge smile on their face. They are thankful for their legs, for their lungs, for their LIFE! Its so much more than material things to them! Sadly, we are in a country and a materialistic world where the fruits of life are forgotten and the goodness of God is "habit" to some.

Don't ever forget about His goodness! We need to understand that God want's us to be so blessed that everyone sees Gods praise radiating through us! 

So lets make sure we thank God for every little thing He has done..for every big thing He is going to do..and for every SINGLE blessing that He has given us!


...umm i think I got carried away..scratch out the comment about the sick puppy in my face..he is asleep on my lap and I just kept typing away!...

Some pics of our amazing times in Texas- more memories to be created in these next months!

 When parents came to visit :)

 GO TEXANS. (unless they are playing the J-E-T-S. JETS JETS JETS!). This was the first time Travis visited...as you can tell, we werent use to the humidity yet...I can now walk in pants and a shirt WITHOUT needed to chug an entire water bottle every few minutes...

 Second attempt at two steppin'...WE still failed...rhythm is not in our genes..

Free sublime concert during the NCAA Final Four!

God put me in Texas for so many reasons and I am so thankful for what He has done here! Can't wait to see what the next 8-9 months have in store for us here....and then at the next place we are moved to!

Adventures= my kinda thing!

What I Wore Wednesday

So..I dont really do this kinda-stuff on a regular basis..but I decided to jump on the band wagon this week- for the main reason that I loved this shirt I wore haha! This was originally a post from August- whoops!

Travis and I went back home to CA. IT WAS AMAZING! I went to the US Open with girlfriends, he golfed with his dad, we went to dinner every night with family, we went to the open together, we grilled at the pool..the list goes on and on. Well, on Saturday morning I went out to eat breakfast with my other-other family (the Webbs) for Rachels 21st birthday. We went to the beachcomber and it was so good! I got coconut macademia nut pancakes...Yum!

Anyways, this is what I wore:

Shirt: Limited
Pants: Gap
Sandles: no idea
Cute mom with her "pimp" hat on: wasnt for sale. I got lucky.